Name: Honey Garlic Chicken and Crispy Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds baby red or gold potatoes, halved into roughly 1-inch pieces; 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided; 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 4 cutlets about 1/2 inch thick; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1/3 cup honey; 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Honey garlic chicken is all about the pan sauce: sweet, savory and sharp enough from the vinegar to keep each bite interesting. Here it coats thin chicken cutlets, while a tray of baby potatoes roasts separately until the cut faces turn deep golden. That separation matters. Potatoes sitting in sauce can be delicious, but they will not keep the same crisp edges.

This is a skillet-and-oven dinner rather than a one-pan shortcut. Give the potatoes their head start, then cook the chicken near the end of the roasting time. You will have a generous main course for four, with the sauce ready to spoon over the chicken at the table.

Honey garlic chicken cutlets with crispy roasted red baby potatoes

Why the potatoes get their own pan

A hot metal tray, dry potato surfaces and a little space do more for browning than constant stirring. Start the halves cut-side down so the flat faces make contact with the pan. Turn them after 30 minutes and let them finish roasting until a fork slips through the centers easily. The skins may wrinkle slightly and the browned edges will vary from piece to piece; that is normal.

Use small red or gold potatoes and cut any larger ones down to roughly the same size. Keep the skins on. If the tray looks crowded, divide the potatoes between two pans rather than piling them up. A crowded pan traps moisture and gives you softer potatoes.

What you will need

Chicken cutlets, red baby potatoes and honey garlic sauce ingredients

1 1/2 pounds baby red or gold potatoes, halved into roughly 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 4 cutlets about 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

The flour is only a light dusting, not a thick breading. It helps the chicken brown and gives the sauce something to cling to. Reduced-sodium soy sauce brings savory depth; apple cider vinegar balances the honey. Fresh garlic goes into the pan after the searing heat has been lowered, so it has less chance to scorch.

How to make honey garlic chicken and crispy potatoes

Step 1. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle. Scrub the potatoes, dry well, and halve them into roughly 1-inch pieces. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread cut-side down on a large rimmed metal baking sheet, leaving space between pieces.

Step 2. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the potatoes with a spatula. Roast another 25–35 minutes, until deeply golden and easily pierced with a fork. Start the chicken during the last 20 minutes of roasting.

Step 3. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; do not rinse it. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Lightly dredge in flour and shake off excess. Discard any flour that touched raw chicken.

Step 4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the cutlets for about 3–4 minutes per side, working in batches if needed, until golden. Transfer to a plate; the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.

Step 5. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter and garlic to the skillet and stir for about 30 seconds without browning the garlic. Stir in the honey, soy sauce, vinegar and 2 tablespoons water, scraping up the browned bits. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2 minutes.

Step 6. Return the chicken and its juices to the skillet. Simmer gently, turning to coat, until a food thermometer inserted sideways into the thickest part of each cutlet reads 165°F. Add water a tablespoon at a time if the sauce becomes too thick before the chicken is done. Use clean utensils and plates for the cooked chicken.

Step 7. Serve the chicken with its sauce and the hot roasted potatoes alongside. Keep most of the sauce off the potatoes so their edges stay crisp. Sprinkle with the optional parsley.

Raw red baby potatoes arranged cut-side down before roasting

A few details that make dinner easier

Keep the cutlets even. If one end is much thicker, gently pound it between sheets of parchment before seasoning. Cutlets about 1/2 inch thick cook more evenly than a mixture of thick whole breasts and thin pieces. Their actual cooking time still depends on thickness and skillet heat.

Watch the sauce, not just the clock. Honey thickens quickly as water evaporates. A gentle simmer is enough. If the glaze looks sticky before the chicken reaches 165°F, add a tablespoon of water and lower the heat. The sauce should spoon easily over the chicken, not form a hard candy-like coating.

Let the potatoes finish properly. If they need a few more minutes, give them that time rather than serving firm centers. Finish the chicken close to serving and keep it hot while any last potato browning happens. A thermometer is the doneness check for chicken; color alone is not reliable.

Serving and leftovers

Set the chicken beside the potatoes and spoon the sauce mostly over the meat. A simple green salad or steamed green vegetable is an optional addition if you want something fresh alongside. The potatoes are at their crispest straight from the oven, so avoid covering the tray tightly before serving.

Use a large metal sheet pan and leave gaps between the potatoes; crowding encourages steaming. Chicken thickness and pan heat affect cooking time, so use 165°F rather than a timer alone. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), keep at 40°F or below, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F; store potatoes separately for better texture. This recipe contains honey and is not suitable for children under 12 months.

For reheating, spread the potatoes on a tray rather than burying them under the chicken. Warm the chicken gently with a splash of water to loosen its sauce, checking that leftovers reach 165°F. Potatoes may soften in the refrigerator; oven reheating can improve their edges, though the texture will not be identical to freshly roasted.